Vampire Academy Drabbles
by thefangirlchronicles
Summary: A collection of drabbles featuring the VA cast. Focuses mostly on Romitri, but definitely there will be other stuff going on. read and Review, faithful readers! ;3
1. An Unfortunate Picnic

Rose tugged at Dimitri's hand impatiently. "Come _on_, Dimitri. You're so slow." Dimitri laughed and said, "Only when I have a blindfold on." Rose huffed and said, "You should be able to sense where we're going, at least. Psh. The great guardian Belikov, my ass." Dimitri made a noise in the back of his throat that sounded like barely contained laughter. "Would you be excessively mad if I told you this is on purpose?" Rose swatted his arm in dismay. "You aren't! We could've been there by now." Dimitri cleared his throat. "This might be easier if I could see…" Rose grunted and pulled him along in silence. Dimitri sighed. "Rose, where are we-" "We're here," Rose said suddenly. She raised her hands to Dimitri's face and accidentally brushed her fingers on his face when she tried to get the blindfold off. Dimitri stiffened and Rose flushed. She quickly got the blindfold off and waved an arm at the arrangement. "Tadaaa!" She said. Dimitri scanned the assortment of foods laid out on a blanket. "It's a picnic," he said. Rose wavered and said, "Um… I thought, with all the activity, we could… you know, enjoy a quiet…meal," she finished lamely. "Look, we could go back-" "It's perfect." Rose looked at Dimitri in surprise. "You… like it?" Dimitri smiled at Rose. "Yeah. It's perfect." He sat on the blanket and starting eying the food. "What'd you bring?" Rose sat next to him and said, "The usual. Sandwiches, fruits, tons of desserts…" Dimitri laughed, and Rose closed her eyes. Dimitri laughing was a thing to savor, she decided.

Dimitri grabbed a ham sandwich and a handful of grapes, then searched some more. "No drinks?" Rose looked around, then said, "Oh, the drinks are in here-." She trailed off abruptly and blushed. She and Dimitri went reaching for the same container, and their hands met in the middle. She pulled her hand back slowly and said suddenly, "I hate this." Dimitri looked at her sideways and said carefully, "Hate what?" Rose sighed in frustration and snapped, "You know what. This whole… pretending to not know each other." Then it was Dimitri's turn to sigh. "Rose-" "No! That's your _if only you would understand_ voice. Give me the _we are equals and I will talk freely_ voice." Dimitri made an annoyed noise. "You are very hard to talk to, you know that?" Rose crossed her arms and said, "Then talk to me how I want to be talked to, and this can go much easier." Dimitri sighed in defeat. "Rose. Let me- God. Okay. You know what?" And with that he leaned in and kissed Rose.

Rose was caught off guard and stood still even when he pulled away. "Rose? Ah, I'm sorry-" But before he could finish, Rose wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Dimitri cupped her face in his hands and pulled away for a second to murmur, "I love you, Roza. I'm sorry if I don't seem like it." Rose buried her face in the crook of Dimitri's neck and whispered, "It's okay. I love you, too." Then their lips met again and it was a storm, a storm that blew around them and consumed them, and pushed them together like two pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly. Rose let her fingers brush through the rebellious strays of Dimitri's hair that didn't stay in the rubber band he kept his hair up with. She felt a fire grow inside of her, tendrils of flame running through her bloodstream. It seemed they went into her and Dimitri, another way they connected. Dimitri rubbed his thumbs across Rose's cheekbones as if he could memorize her face. Dimitri pulled away and lowered his head, kissing a trail up Rose's neck until he was back where he started. Rose felt the fire intensify and she rested her head on his chest, feeling relaxed by the rise and fall of it. She felt so warm and relaxed, her body refused to recognize an unwelcome feeling. The strange feeling gnawed at her stomach, and caused a crease to form on her brow. Dimitri noticed the change and said concernedly, "Rose? Are you okay?" Rose shook off her sleepy stupor and tried to recognize the intruding feeling. "I don't - oh." That and the widening of her eyes were the only warning of what happened next. A jagged spear came out of nowhere, and flew directly towards the two.

Dimitri was confused for just a second, but a second's hesitation means life or death on the battlefield. Rose flew into him and forced him on the ground. Dimitri gained his breath back and got Rose off him as quickly as possible. He ran at the area where the spear came from, but in a jerky, erratic pattern in case the perpetrator had more spears. _A Strigoi most likely, based on Rose's sense_, he thought. He was very close to the shadowy woods so he gave up with his zig-zag pattern and barreled straight into the woods. He heard an _oof_ and had a moment's satisfaction before he was shoved off brusquely. He leaped back and sized up his opponent. The Strigoi was obviously very young, because he looked skittery and not at all in control like more experienced Strigoi. That didn't mean he let down his guard; young Strigoi were still very powerful. He remembered Natalie and shuddered at how Rose almost died that night. The Strigoi he was facing sneered and said, "I'll have a feast tonight." Dimitri noted that the Strigoi kept his distance and was wary of Dimitri. _He should be._ Dimitri made the first move and darted in. He had his stake out and swiped at the Strigoi, aiming for a glancing blow that would disorient him. The Strigoi wasn't fast enough and shrieked as the life-infused stake drew a line of blood across his face. Dimitri realized this could be over fast and feinted right. The Strigoi apparently wasn't completely incompetent, because he went left and kicked out viciously. Dimitri dodged it and went in for the kill. The Strigoi swatted at Dimitri's arm, which still felt like a bar of steel hitting Dimitri, but Dimitri gritted his teeth, got in, and jabbed the stake deep. The Strigoi wailed in pain and slumped down. He focused on Dimitri a look of intense hate, then fell over completely. Dimitri let out a breath and after a quick survey of the area determined that the Strigoi was traveling solo. He went back to the picnic and said jokingly, "I could've used some-" He stopped. All the air was forcefully knocked from his chest, but not from an enemy's blow. Rose was lying on the ground, looking very pale, and gripping the spear buried in her chest.

Dimitri let out a strangled cry and ran to Rose. "No!" He half shouted. When he got to her side he got to his knees and took Rose's hands away from the spear. He felt his heart tear in half when Rose croaked, "Hey, comrade. I don't feel so great." Dimitri felt tears stain his cheeks, but he didn't care. There were way, _way_ more pressing matters to attend to. "You'll be okay, Rose. Lissa-" "Is too far away, Dimitri," Rose feebly interrupted. Dimitri choked back a sob and picked Rose's weak body off the ground. "Stay with me, Rose." Rose closed her eyes and murmured sadly, "I'll try." Dimitri brushed strands of hair away from her face and started sprinting as gently as he could towards the Academy. As he ran, he almost threw up after a realization. He said to Rose, "That was meant for me. You took the spear instead." Rose's eyelids fluttered, but her eyes stayed closed. "That's what love'll do to you. Gets you speared in the chest." Dimitri half laughed and half sobbed, and continued to run.

When he reached the academy, he didn't bother with subtleties. "LISSA!" He yelled. "VASILISSA!" He looked desperately around for a few seconds and then remembered there were two spirit users on campus. "ADRIAN! VASILISSA!" He ran towards the medical wing and continued to shout, ignoring the stares people were giving him. He screamed at them, "WHERE ARE VASILISSA AND ADRIAN!? VASILISSA DRAGOMIR AND ADRIAN IVASHKOV!" He carried Rose and ran to the medical wing with more urgency. They continued to receive stares from various students until someone realized the situation. "Is that a…" "There's something in her chest!" "Get Lissa and Adrian for them! I heard they can heal people!" "It's true! I've seen it!" As Dimitri got closer to the medical wing, more and more people were shouting for Lissa and Adrian. When he arrived, Lissa was next to a bed with a wide eyed, frightened gaze. "What's wrong? Half the people were shouting for me, and I couldn't hear-" She froze when she saw Rose and screamed. She backed away and seemed to remember what she could do, then ran towards them. "Put her on a bed!" She cried. Dimitri placed Rose on her side on a bed and gripped her hands desperately. "Rose! Stay awake, please!" Lissa paled when she saw the spear more closely and said, voice trembling, "We need to get it out before I can heal her." Dimitri nodded shortly and, as gently as he could, pushed the spear out. Rose cried out in pain and Dimitri felt as if it was _he_ who had the spear in him, and not Rose. He got the spear out and threw it on the ground, disgusted. "Okay." Lissa placed her hands on Rose and flinched at the hole in Rose's body. "Okay, here we go." The air seemed more full of life suddenly, and a sweet aroma filled Dimitri's nose. He didn't pay any mind to it, though. All his attention was on Rose. He looked to Lissa for reassurance and was stricken at her face. Her brow was scrunched up in concentration, and sweat drops hung at the edge of her face. He looked around and said to Lissa, "I'm going to get Adrian." She didn't respond, and though it killed him to leave Rose, Dimitri ran out. He looked around and was relieved to see none other than Adrian Ivashkov walking towards the medical wing. "Adrian!" He gasped. Adrian walked quicker and said, "What's wrong? Half the schoolyard is shouting for either me or Lissa, and- Where's Rose?" He paled at Dimitri's face and looked at his hands. "I can't do much, but I'll try to help." Dimitri nodded his thanks and sprinted back to the medical wing.

When he arrived, Lissa was near unconsciousness. "I-can't do this much longer," she gasped. "It's taking a long time to heal." "Probably because she has a hold in herself and not a scratch," came a voice behind them. "Help her, Adrian," Dimitri growled. Adrian shot him a look and said, "I'd be a little nicer to the man who could save your girlfriend." Nonetheless, he kneeled opposite Lissa and put his hands on Rose. He concentrated, and the air became even sweeter. Dimitri watched Rose and clasped her hand in his. To his dismay, she felt cold. Not corpse-cold, but fatal injury-cold. He murmured pleadingly, "Come on Rose. Stay awake." Rose stirred and sighed softly. "I'm so tired. Why am I so… tired?" Her fingers wiggled faintly in Dimitri's hand and he brought them to his lips. "Don't go to sleep." A tear leaked out of Rose's left eye, and with that she became still.

Dimitri looked at Adrian and Lissa. "Why is she asleep?" Lissa answered truthfully. "I don't know, Dimitri." Dimitri half shouted at her, "Why isn't it working? You can heal, so heal her-" "You don't think this is hard for me, too?!" Lissa screamed. Dimitri was taken aback, and Lissa continued. "Rose was-_is_ my best friend. She stayed with me and helped me through everything. You aren't the only person who cares about her, Dimitri!" Dimitri bowed his head and sighed. "I'm sorry, Lissa." He nodded at Adrian. "You too, Adrian." Adrian sighed and said, "I accept your apology, but don't expect me to hug you and make you feel better." Dimitri buried his face in his hands and took deep breaths. Lissa spoke up. "How did this happen?" Without looking up, Dimitri said, "She took me into the woods for a picnic. A few minutes pass, she barely has time to have her sense and widen her eyes when a spear comes flying out of nowhere. It was meant for me, but she took it instead. I killed the solo Strigoi who threw it and realized what had happened to her, so I brought her here. I yelled up half the school, and you know the rest." Adrian had been quiet through the story, but he mumbled in a weak attempt at a joke, "I hope the picnic was worth it." They sat in silence until, suddenly, a voice said weakly, "What'd I miss?"

Dimitri spun towards the bed. Rose was sitting up with one arm supporting her, and her face looked haggard but healthy. "That's twice you've cheated death, Rose. Always a rebel," he said shakily. Rose smiled faintly and addressed Lissa. "So am I doubly shadow-kissed?" Lissa punched Rose on the leg and cried, "Don't do that!" But a smile was underlying her words. Adrian ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I seriously need a smoke. And little dhampir, try not to die again." He left, and Lissa smiled at Rose. After only a moment's hesitation, she rushed to Rose and gave her a big hug. When she pulled away, she smiled at Dimitri. "I'll give you some time alone." She walked after Adrian, leaving Dimitri and Rose alone.

Dimitri and Rose stared at each other. Rose rubbed at her eyes and Dimitri realized she was crying. "Rose…" He started. He broke off, and then pulled Rose into his arms. Rose smiled and said in a small voice, "Hey, go easy on me. I've just been impaled, you know." She buried her face in the crook of his neck and started sobbing. Dimitri almost broke down then and there but he stayed silent. After a few moments, Rose pulled back and opened her arms. "Okay, now you. I could tell you were about to cry yourself." Dimitri shook his head and grimaced when a few rebellious tears leaked out. He swatted at them angrily and Rose laughed. "Crying is a fact of life, Dimitri. Come here. Even the great guardian Belikov has his crybaby moments." Dimitri tried to look indignant but failed with his tears. "I'm not a _crybaby_, I just-" He was cut off when Rose drew him into her arms. He sighed and his voice cracked. He wept silently into her shoulder sleeve, and relaxed as she drew circles on his back. "I'm sorry for sucking at not-dying," Rose whispered. Dimitri's chest heaved and he half sobbed, "Oh god, Rose-" He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her desperately, as if to make sure she really was there. Rose responded gratefully and brought up her hands to wipe away Dimitri's tears. She pulled away and raised an eyebrow. "Now I can cross 'getting impaled' off my bucket list." Dimitri smiled and touched foreheads with Rose. "Only you, Roza. Only you."


	2. Tough Sleep

Rose groaned. "Some people have this thing they need really badly, Dimitri. It's called sleep. Ever heard of it?" Dimitri ignored her. Rose huffed and complained, "Sleep is really hard to get when a person's boyfriend won't stop reading his western novels up late." Dimitri turned to Rose. "Just turn the other way and close your eyes. The light won't affect you then." He went back to reading. Rose tried doing what he said to do. "It doesn't work!" She said angrily. Dimitri made a noise of indifference. Rose elbowed him. Dimitri sighed. "Five more pages, Roza." Rose growled, "I've been listening to your page flips. You said two more pages TWENTY PAGES AGO." Dimitri laughed. "Dedicated, are we?" Rose jabbed him in the side and resorted to pleading. "Dimitri, PLEASE. I have things to do tomorrow that I want to do without collapsing in exhaustion." Dimitri rested the book on his knee in thought, then suddenly turned and pulled Rose into his arms. He shifted so he was covering her and smirked. "Can you see anything now, Roza?" Rose inhaled Dimitri's smell and rested her head on Dimitri's chest. "Point to Dimitri." Dimitri's eyes softened and he put his book away and turned out the light. Wrapping Rose in his arms once again, he nuzzled his head in his hair and fell sound asleep.


	3. Lipstick and Revenge

Rose gaped. Dimitri shifted uncomfortably. Lissa was holding a hand over her mouth to cover barely contained snickers, and Christian was whistling nervously. Rose ran a hand through her hair and spun around. "All right, which one of you did this?" She gestured at the bottles upon bottles of spilled nail polish on her bed. "Well?" Dimitri winced, causing Lissa to keel over and howl with laughter. Christian looked away and mumbled to himself, earning a ferocious glare from Rose. Lissa wiped away tears and choked out, "Maybe… we can... fix this…" She burst out laughing again. Rose actually growled. Dimitri and Christian shared a glance. Rose, not one to miss details, jabbed a finger at them and snarled, "Which one of you- or, actually, was it both of you?" Dimitri fiddled with a button on his duster and Christian took an interest in his hands. Rose curled her fingers into claws and Christian whimpered. Dimitri said half-heartedly, "Don't hurt my charge…" Rose waved again at the mess. "Fess up now and I'll go easy on you." Dimitri furtively glanced at Christian and they both sighed. "It was us," Dimitri began. "We were, um, going to play a prank on you." Christian interrupted. Dimitri whirled around and exclaimed, "I was trying to stop you! This is my bed too!" Rose watched them bicker and walked over to Lissa, who was sprawled at the foot of the bed laughing. Rose whispered to her, "What should my retaliation take form of?" Lissa snickered and whispered back, "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but… Christian has a fear of moths." Rose grinned wickedly and said slowly, "So he does." Lissa raised an eyebrow and smirked. "And Dimitri?" Rose smiled in anticipation and replied, "Let's just say his duster will _accidentally_ be washed with my pink sweater."


	4. Chapter 1 of a Story

At some point during the party, Dimitri noticed Rose was gone. He excused himself from the conversation he was listening to (whether Gregor Schmatz's span "The Cowboy's Errand" was being metaphorical when it said, "The faucet's still dripping") and headed back to his and Rose's room. Even if she wasn't there, he needed to put something back. When he reached their room's hallway, he could see the door was askew. He cautiously pushed the door aside and stepped inside. He heard muffled whimpers and looked around. His eyes rested on his and Rose's bed, which contained none other than Rose herself. Dimitri hung his duster on a hook and walked over to the bed. He grunted in surprise when he saw Rose, her face buried in a pillow, hyperventilating.

"Rose!" He shook her gently, earning a cry of fear. "Roza?" He turned her around and gasped. She was having a nightmare, and her face was red and streaked with tears. A cloud of darkness was literally floating above her face. Dimitri waved away the darkness, but as soon as it dispersed its parts coalesced into a storm cloud again. He was shocked to see bits of it seeping into Rose's forehead. He shook her, hard, and said loudly, "Rose! Wake up!" She continued to hyperventilate and the darkness pressed against her head. She cried out in terror, and Dimitri decided she needed to wake up, fast. He gripped her face and shouted into her ear, "ROZA!" Rose's eyelids flew open, but her eyes were completely black, and the tiny spaces where the pupils would be were glowing yellow.

She screamed, and Dimitri faltered. He thought desperately, and realized that this was calling for more than loud awakenings. He raised a hand nervously, and cracked it across her face. Rose's eyes faded from black to chocolate brown, and the dark cloud bubbled angrily then dispersed into nothing. She sobbed and clenched her fingers, which were buried in Dimitri's shirt. Dimitri gently disentangled her fingers and stroked her face. "What happened?" He asked softly. She hiccupped and wiped away tears, then gazed at Dimitri, horror-struck. "I dreamed about the accident." Dimitri sighed and pulled Rose into his chest. "Roza… you had something leaking into you." Rose's face was a mask of confusion, and then she whimpered. "Do you think… It's the spirit darkness?" Dimitri stiffened, but whispered softly, "There was a black cloud draining into you. When I got you half awake, your eyes were black with yellow pupils. I think… this goes beyond that. Or maybe it's an amplified form of it..? Roza, I don't know."

He stopped when he saw Rose crying into his shirt. "Roza?" She cried harder, and Dimitri gently disentangled Rose's head and hands from his shirt. Rose looked at Dimitri, her eyes covered in a sheen of tears. "Why does this have to happen to me? Not even just this; everything. Lissa's accident, Victor Dashkov, Mason, you becoming a Strigoi, our tabooed love… Why can't anything be normal for me? What did I do to deserve this?" Dimitri kissed her forcefully, effectively cutting off anything she would've said next. "You didn't do anything, Roza. Don't you _dare_ blame yourself." Rose stood up unsteadily and rubbed at her eyes. "I'm a lost cause, Dimitri. It's not too late to take up Tasha's offer, I'll bet." Dimitri stayed silent, so Rose continued. "I don't want you getting hurt. Maybe you should leave. Maybe I'm not fit to be Lissa's guardian-"

"_Rose_." Dimitri finally spoke up, using a dangerously low voice. "Rose. I don't know what universe you're in, but you listen to me. Anyone but you for Lissa's guardian is bound to end badly. And involving me…" He stood up, and in two strides reached Rose. "I will never leave you, Roza." He leaned down and kissed her, tilting his head for a better angle. He touched his fingers lightly on Rose's face, brushing away the tears. She pulled away and touched Dimitri's face. "You'll never leave me? Promise?" She sounded fearful, afraid of rejection. Dimitri held her hand on his face and nodded. "I won't leave you, Roza. Don't forget that." Rose let out a breath and gazed wonderingly up at Dimitri. "You really are a god." Dimitri smiled and kissed her on the nose. "The god of what? Fighting? Loving Rose?" Rose kissed Dimitri back and whispered into his shirt, "My god." Dimitri's heart swelled and he and Rose leaned in to kiss, and this one warmed them to their cores and made sparks travel between them. Rose put her hands on his chest and pushed him onto the bed, but nothing happened. They simply crawled under the covers together, and fell asleep in each other's arms. That is, until Dimitri woke up later to find Rose thrashing and crying out, a black cloud pressing against her head.


	5. Chapter 2 of a Story

"Rose!" Dimitri sprang out of bed and shook her shoulders frantically. "Rose, please!" He opened her eyes and winced when he saw a glowing yellow, ringed by inky black. He remembered his earlier plan of action and slapped Rose across the face. It woke her up, but it seemed too take longer than last time. The cloud pulsated and hummed angrily. It shifted and a bit of it flowed to Dimitri. The small bit pressed against his forehead and was absorbed. He saw a kaleidoscope of images, each one more frightening than the last. He saw his father standing over his mother, who sported a bruised and bleeding lip. Then an image of Rose, vying for attention, shoved its way into his view. He saw Rose, bleeding through multiple wounds, slumped on the ground in front of Natalie. Then it changed; Natalie turned, and Dimitri saw that he was too late, that Rose had been fed on. Next was him being revived from Strigoi form and realizing what he had done to Rose. Dimitri in the real world groaned and forced himself out of the images, imagining himself being ripped from the pictures. He gasped and choked on a sob. He realized that if a little of it could be this terrifying, Rose must be experiencing a living hell. _Was experiencing_, he amended. Rose was standing next to him, looking at him with a scared expression. Her lower lip wobbled slightly, and she sounded hollow when she spoke. "It hurt you."

Dimitri flinched and said slowly, "Yes, but-" "Stop! It's my stupid… _thing_ that's hurting you. That thing is attached to me, so you need to stay away from me." Dimitri felt as if Rose slugging him in the stomach would hurt less than this. "Rose, we can get Lissa..." It was possibly the worst thing he could have said. Rose paled and stepped back. "No! I can't involve her. I'm _not_ fit to be her guardian, and you know it." Dimitri huffed impatiently and stepped towards Rose. "Stop interrupting me. Rose, please. Shutting me and Lissa out is the worst thing you could do right now, or else you'll…" He trailed off. Rose finished calmly, "Go crazy." Dimitri winced and said, "We don't know that." "We do," Rose countered. "Robert Doru, Sonya Karp, partly even Adrian Ivashkov. And I guess we can include Lissa, too." Dimitri said, "I know the evidence is there, but that doesn't mean it'll happen to you." Rose laughed deliriously, but in an instant she was screaming. "ADMIT IT! YOU KNOW I'M GOING CRAZY-" "Rose…" "WHY CAN'T YOU FACE THAT! JUST LEAVE!" "I'll always be at the Academy, you can't avoid me-" "GO FIND SOMEONE ELSE, OR ACCEPT TASHA'S OFF-" "THERE WILL BE NO ONE ELSE!" Dimitri shouted. Rose was silenced, and Dimitri went on. "There will be no one else, Rose." Rose stood quietly, her whole body trembling. "Why? Why can't you just… move on, and forget me?" Dimitri took her face in his hands and said brokenly, "Because I love only you." And with that he lifted her face towards his and kissed Rose. She poured all of her emotions into that one kiss, and he responded equally. She pressed her body against his to get closer, and he wrapped her in his arms, hoisting her off the ground. She gave a little yelp of surprise, but was silenced when he kissed her again. Rose tangled her fingers into his hair and sighed against his lips. Dimitri pulled away and asked, "What's wrong?" Rose shook her head and said quietly, "Thank you for loving me." Dimitri nuzzled her nose with his and responded, "It'd be hard not to." Rose's head fell and she croaked, "What do I do? If I fall asleep, it'll happen again." Dimitri's face hardened into a mask of determination and he said, "We'll get Lissa."

Lissa rubbed at her eyes. "_What_ happens?" Dimitri repeated patiently, "A black cloud is transferring into Rose's mind, and she may become possessed the next time she falls asleep. " Lissa blinked, and exhaled. "Rose… you're not gonna like this, but-" "You need to see it, and I need to fall asleep," Rose interrupted. She lay down on the floor and cast a critical eye on Lissa's bed. "Mind if I borrow a blanket?" Lissa draped her thickest blanket over Rose and threw a pillow down. "Get comfy." Rose shuddered and flinched as she closed her eyes. "Wake me up fast, Dimitri." Dimitri stood abruptly and said, "There has to be another way." Rose shut her eyes tightly and said raggedly, "Let me do this, Dimitri. Just wake me up fast." Dimitri thought in silence, and then kissed Rose quickly. Rose steadied her breathing and clutched the pillow tightly. Ten minutes later, she was fast asleep.

Dimitri stared at Rose's sleeping form. "Any minute now," he said tersely. Lissa watched Rose with concern. For a few minutes, nothing happened. Lissa looked at Dimitri and said nervously, "When should it..." She trailed off, as Rose's features grew hazy through a mask of darkness. The black cloud twitched and bubbled closer to Rose. Rose let out a cry, and Dimitri stiffened. Rose's brow scrunched up, and Lissa peered closer at the cloud. "It might be spirit darkness. Let me…" Before Dimitri could stop her, Lissa reached out a hand ad touched the inky darkness.

Lissa felt it travel up past her arm and become absorbed into her head. She screamed and collapsed. She saw Christian half dead from Victor Dashkov's psi-hounds, which was quickly replaced by fear for Rose when she left for Spokane, and images of Rose dead or worse flitted past. Finally the accident; she and Rose humming a song when a screech of tires and a piercing scream that Lissa thought belonged to her, accompanied by a wrenching feeling. She remembered standing over Rose and looking at her past-repair body, and- "Vasilissa!" She was jerked into reality by Dimitri's shout, and she wiped away tears that had slid down her face. "What… happened?" Dimitri pointed urgently at Rose, and Lissa could see why. Rose was standing erect and her eyes were open, but they were glowing completely orange. Rose- or whatever had taken over Rose- opened her mouth and Lissa and Dimitri shuddered at Rose's voice; it was Rose, but at the same time was most definitely _not_ Rose. "Where is the one who is called Vasilissa?"

Lissa's eyes widened and she gulped. "That would be me," she said bravely. Rose's head swiveled to face her and Dimitri put a protective hand on Lissa's shoulder. "Where… is the Paranox..?" Lissa paled, and croaked, "What?" Possessed Rose's eyes flickered impatiently and she snarled, "The Paranox. What have you done with it?" Lissa flinched and whispered to Dimitri, "We need to wake her up." Dimitri whispered back, "It takes a slap on the face, but it works less every time. Christian?" He was asking if they should get Christian to wake her up. "No time. Maybe… maybe if I humor her and you pretend to leave, then you sneak back in and knock her out?" Dimitri sighed quietly. "It's the best we've got." Lissa took a breath and said to Possessed Rose, "The Paranox is elsewhere. Shall I take you to it?" Possessed Rose cocked her head and said, "And where would it be?" Lissa gulped and said, "Outside… by the place with the raven." Dimitri looked at her sideways, but Possessed Rose laughed, a harsh, menacing laugh. Lissa saw Dimitri shiver and winced sympathetically. Possessed Rose said, "You lead." Her head swiveled to Dimitri. "You, with her." Dimitri muttered under his breath and stepped next to Lissa. Lissa, casting a desperate glance to Dimitri, turned around and started walking.


	6. Chapter 3 of a Story

**Please don't hate me for making this small! I have more story already written after this, but I wait for reviews. (Only 1 or 2 are really needed. I should raise my standards.) Oh, and I guess I should say something: I have no idea what I'm doing. But I bet you knew that ;) What I mean is, I have no idea what the Paranox is. Don't worry, I'll make it something good. Hey though; I love you guys for listening to my brainchildren. (For the whole day, I have been thinking about Pewdiepie's Surgeon Simulator brain surgery. Specifically when he says "Woah, there's a _brain_ in there. :O") But yeah, I plan to stay. To misquote Journey: "Don't stop readin'." (See what I did there? I- oh never mind) **

Dimitri was periodically glancing at Possessed Rose. When their eyes met, Dimitri turned around with an indifferent expression, but inside he was screaming for Rose to snap out of it and become his Roza again. He thought for a second, then turned around and asked, "Who are you?" Possessed Rose's head tilted and she smirked. "Why don't you ask Lissa?" Dimitri turned to Lissa, confused. Lissa grew paler and she whispered, "Sonya Karp." Dimitri's steps faltered. "What?" Possessed Rose winked at Dimitri and twirled a lock of hair on her finger. "In the flesh… or rather, in Rosemarie's." Dimitri looked at Possessed Rose- Sonya Karp, he amended- and snarled, "What would Mikhail think of you?" Sonya laughed. "He's dead to me." Dimitri shook his head and said, "He loved you." Sonya rolled her eyes and said, "Listen, guardian. As a regular Moroi, I'm sure I loved him. But as a Strigoi, whatever I felt shriveled up and died. Why do you care…" She trailed off, and then got it. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Did I possess your girlfriend? You seem kind of old for Rose. Sorry anyway, perv." She delivered the words with a snarky attitude. Dimitri could tell she didn't care, but her words hurt, especially when they came from Rose's mouth. He turned away. Lissa, who'd been listening quietly, stopped and said, "From here we have to go into the forest." Sonya waved a hand and said, "And that's a problem why?" Lissa shook her head and said glumly, "It's not." As they walked into the forest, Lissa gave Dimitri a meaningful look that said, _Can't you just overpower her?_ Dimitri was about to explain why he couldn't when it occurred to him; he could. He mentally face palmed himself for being slow and vowed to apologize to Lissa when this was over. He pretended to fall. Sonya snapped, "What's the hold up?" Dimitri faked a grimace and said sullenly, "Nothing. I tripped." When Sonya came over to investigate, Dimitri made an explosive leap to his feet, bumping Sonya away. He swung to face Sonya and found her holding a stake to Lissa's throat.

"Surprised, perv?" She snarled. "I used to _be_ a Moroi. I know how much their lives are treasured." She motioned to Lissa. "Especially when that Moroi is the last of the Dragomir line." Sonya pressed the stake against Lissa's throat, and Lissa whimpered. Dimitri held up his hands in a placating gesture, but Sonya wasn't having any of it. "On the ground, perv." Dimitri got on his knees, but Sonya motioned lower. "On your stomach." Dimitri got on his stomach and raised an eyebrow at Sonya. She grinned evilly and shoved Lissa into a tree, hard. Lissa let out a cry and slumped to the ground. Sonya got on the ground next to Dimitri and held the stake over his heart. _Oh_, Dimitri thought. _Killed by my Roza_, he thought dully. He twisted to look at Sonya and said desperately, "Roza, I know you're in there. Please. It's me, Dimitri." Sonya laughed. "Poor, poor, Dimitri. Killed by his own lover." But her eye twitched. Dimitri felt a tug of hope and he cried, "Rose! Listen to me. This is not you." He recalled these were the words he used back in the cabin, when she was in a spirit-induced rage. Sonya winced and gripped her head. "Okay, lover boy, time for you to die." Dimitri yelled out, "It's not you! Please, fight her!" Sonya cried out in frustration and her eyes flickered. Dimitri realized Rose was trying to get out and leaned forward suddenly, and kissed Rose/Sonya. She tried to pull away, but Dimitri held her tight. Sonya struggled weakly. Slowly she slumped forward, tears streaming down her face, and murmured against Dimitri's lips, "Mikhail…" Then she fainted.


	7. Chapter 4 of a Story

Dimitri caught her, and brushed her hair away from her face. "Roza?" He murmured tentatively. Suddenly, Rose's eyes flew open. Dimitri was dismayed to find them glowing orange, but to his relief they faded into the soft brown he came to know and love. She moaned and burst into tears, sobbing and clutching her face. Dimitri sighed and rested his forehead on hers. He waited until Rose had cried herself out, then kissed her gently. She kissed him back, then whispered hoarsely, "Is Lissa okay?" Dimitri shook his head in disbelief. "You've been having nightmares for the past few days, nightmares that have been steadily growing worse, and then you get _possessed_, and you are still worried about your Moroi?" Rose hiccupped and said sadly, "They come first." Dimitri cast an eye over to Lissa, who had woken up and was watching Rose with concern. "She's fine." Rose covered her face with her hands and croaked, "Don't leave. Please." Dimitri kissed her, hard, and said roughly, "Of course." Rose looked up in surprise and saw that he had been affected almost as hard as her. He was blinking back tears, and his face looked gaunt. "God, Roza. I've been so worried about you," he said softly. Rose sniffled and hugged Dimitri as hard as she could. "I'm sorry, Dimitri." Dimitri would have laughed if he wasn't so stricken. "Sorry for what, Roza?" Rose breathed in his scent. "Sorry for being a shadow-kissed freak that's constantly involved in some life threatening danger, has stolen your heart, and won't give it back." Dimitri looked down at her and hugged her harder at the sight of her guilt-ridden body. "Dimitri, you really need to leave-" "Stop it, Rose," he said tiredly. "I'm not going anywhere." Rose gave a small sigh of relief, which caused her to wince guiltily. "I thought you'd say that."

Unfortunately, there was still the problem of it happening again. Once they had gotten back to campus and explained everything to Kirova and Alberta, Dimitri was given the go-ahead to move in with Rose ("To watch over her," he insisted. Then, under his breath, _"Among other things."_). Their room had two beds, but of course they slept together in the bigger bed. Dimitri was always the last one to fall asleep, as he would stay awake ten minutes after Rose had fallen asleep to make sure she wouldn't awake with another person in her head. One night, Dimitri had a false alarm. Rose had had an actual nightmare, not an attempt at being possessed. She cried pitifully and clenched her fists on her head. "Make them go away…" She moaned. Dimitri roughly shook her awake and prepared to get the other guardians, but Rose awoke with tears flowing and herself in control. Dimitri sighed in relief, but quickly regretted it. Though it probably wasn't as bad as Sonya's, she still was terrified. Dimitri pulled her into his arms and murmured something in Russian. Dimitri could feel his shirt getting wet from Rose's tears, but he didn't care. He ran a hand through her hair, which was tousled from sleep and her fitful nightmare. Rose hiccupped and nestled closer to Dimitri, who kissed her forehead and rubbed little circles into her back. She relaxed after a while, and said, "At least it was a regular nightmare." Dimitri stayed silent, but then asked, "Who were you talking about? You said 'make them go away'." Rose hesitated and said slowly, "I dreamed… back when the Strigoi raided Saint Vladimir's. Except… I was in the cave with you, and they…" She gulped. "They made me watch when they turned you." She sounded so fragile, Dimitri held her gently, in case she might break. "That must've been horrible, Roza. I'm sorry." Rose lifted her head, and they shared a sweet kiss, a small moment where they could each forget their pain and loss and enjoy each other. When Rose snuggled up against Dimitri, she nodded off almost instantly. Dimitri didn't bother waiting to go to sleep; he knew with a gut feeling she'd be okay for the night.

When Dimitri woke up, he reluctantly poked Rose until she awoke, bleary-eyed, and yawned. Dimitri kissed her lightly on the forehead and got dressed, smiling as Rose almost fell out of bed. The day was uneventful, and Rose was cheerful by the end of the day. Only one thing left, and that was training. Dimitri got out his sparring mat and pressed the corners down so they wouldn't trip. Rose looked around and smiled. "We're attracting a crowd. Tune down the badassness, comrade." Dimitri smiled, and though nobody could see it, relaxed. This was the Rose he knew and loved, for now anyway. Anyways, Rose was right; they were attracting a crowd. Everyone saw them as the two best fighters, as well as most experienced, in the academy. Watching them fight was like watching… well, masters at their best. Dimitri adopted a fighting stance, and Rose followed suit. Then, they began to fight.

Each move was fluid, each blow made its mark. If one didn't, it was because of the other's skill. There were no foul plays, no mess-ups, no failures. They anticipated each other's moves, and the result was amazing. They each respected each other, and Rose loved to spar with Dimitri. The feeling was mutual. This felt normal to Rose, after all that had happened previously. _Of course_, Rose thought after, _my life is destined to be anything but normal._


	8. Chapter 5 of a Story

Dimitri felt himself relax in the fight as he and Rose got into a rhythm and muscle memory took hold. He dodged a jab to the head and feinted right, but, as he knew she would, Rose didn't fall for it and attacked his left. Suddenly, Rose faltered and Dimitri landed a blow to the ribs. Rose stumbled and wheezed, trying to catch her breath. Dimitri gave her a few seconds to recover, and she winced, then raised her fists again. Dimitri lashed out with his leg, trying to unbalance her, and succeeded in fully knocking her over. Rose coughed on the ground, and Dimitri leaned forward with concern in his eyes. He pulled her up by the arm; while doing so he murmured, "You okay?" Rose pressed a hand to her temple and said, "I don't know. "I don't feel so… good…" She slumped forward without warning and Dimitri caught her before she hit the floor. "Rose!" Rose sagged, and Dimitri knew she had lost consciousness. He turned toward the confused crowd and shouted, "Get Doctor Olendzki!" The crowd shuffled for a second, then five or six students dashed off to the medical wing. The remaining people leaned forward, trying to see Rose. Dimitri looked over Rose with panic blooming in his mind, but to anyone else it would seem as if he was calm and in control. "Roza…" he muttered. Suddenly, a thought came to him. The idea of what it would prove was so repulsive and unwelcome; Dimitri would've dismissed it if it wouldn't help Rose. Feeling as if he were in slow-motion, he slowly reached down a hand and paused at her eyes. Ever so gently, he lifted her eyelids and felt his heart thud to a stop. Instead of the chocolate brown he adored, Rose's eyes were pulsing a bright orange.

"Not again," he muttered. He desperately tried to swat away the opaque cloud that was forming over her, but each wave his hand made through the cloud sent shock waves of depression and anger through him. "No, no, no, _no_," he hissed. He scooped her up in his arms and ran to Kirova's section of campus. "Stay out of Rose, Sonya," he mumbled. He skidded a little on the tile and glanced up at the imposing headmistress's doors. That is, imposing if you weren't friendly with Kirova. Dimitri saw the doors only as an obstacle that barricaded Rose's survival. That being said, he decided to skip the polite knocking. "Headmistress!" He yelled. "Kirova!" He laid Rose down leaning on a wall and began to bang on the doors with both of his fists, fear for Rose and anger at Sonya fueling his punches. Some fifteen seconds later, Alberta flung open the doors with a harried look on her face. "I'll have you know…" She stopped when she saw Dimitri and the look on his face. She paled. "Rose?" Dimitri nodded gravely, and Alberta ushered him with Rose in his arms into the office. Dimitri didn't even ask why Alberta was here instead of Kirova; there were more pressing matters to attend to. "Kirova's on her way," Alberta said curtly. She tried to maintain a composed glance, but her façade lasted about two more seconds before it cracked into a million pieces. "How's Rose?" She cried worriedly. Dimitri recalled that Alberta had been Rose's mother figure at the academy because Janine wasn't there. He felt a pang when he realized Alberta loved Rose as much as he did, but in a maternal, motherly way. "Sonya," he said. This prompted no further explanation as Alberta was one of the ones informed of Rose's… condition. Alberta's brow furrowed. "She wasn't asleep." Dimitri nodded and added, "Completely opposite. We were sparring when she lost consciousness." Alberta covered her mouth with her hand. "What can we do?" Dimitri looked at Rose. He and Rose protected each other fiercely and hated when the other was in danger, so the words he said next tore at his heart. "I don't know." Alberta stared at Rose, who was gently convulsing. "Maybe… maybe we can get Vasilissa?" Alberta suggested tentatively. Dimitri thought about Rose, and when she said she didn't want to get Lissa involved. But a sudden, terror-filled cry from Rose made him nod concisely and sprint out of the room.


	9. Chapter 6 of a Story

He ran outside but sharply turned, trying to avoid colliding with a boy who's ear was pressed against the door. Alas, they hit, Dimitri landing with a _woof_ on top of the student. He got up and hauled the boy to his feet, annoyed at the delay. The boy started patting Dimitri's duster and babbled, "Sir I'm so sorry let me get you an ice pack oh no do you have a concussion maybe we should go to the clinic-" "Let, GO," Dimitri growled. He shoved the arm of the boy away impatiently and took off running through the halls towards Lissa's dorm. But because he was in a hurry, he failed to notice the boy glance after him coldly and tossing a box with only one cufflink in a trash can.

As Dimitri was running to get Lissa, he was feeling more and more sluggish and mournful. _Rose is never going to make it_, he thought. _I might as well be with her when she gets possessed._ He half turned around but then frowned. _What am I even doing?_ He stood still, trying to figure out why this feeling was so familiar, and then it hit him. "Victor's lust charm!" He gasped. He quickly searched himself for any items, and found a metal ring… a cufflink. Sonya must've put in on him when she ordered him on the ground. He reached for it, and a millisecond before his fingers closed over it, he realized his mistake. The cufflink previously was in his pocket, so it could radiate its effects on a lesser scale, as it wasn't touching his person. But when his fingers closed over it, the effects poured into him on a full scale and he was bombarded with emotions. He staggered back, overwhelmed. Tears sprang to his eyes and he closed his eyes numbly. "What's the use?" He bellowed. He sagged and dropped to his knees in despair. However, in the process, his hand opened and the cufflink rolled onto the floor. He gasped when it left his hand, and everything shot into perspective. He kicked the cufflink to a wall and sprinted to Lissa's dorm, cursing Sonya and her Strigoi form and vowing to investigate the boy who gave it to him.

"VASILISSA!" He screamed. He took a few steps back, then ran at the door and rammed it with his shoulder. Of course, considering his weight and skill, the door gave way, and he fell on top of the door with a grunt. He got up and brushed splinters of Lissa's door off his duster, the looked up to find Lissa staring at him with her mouth open, the phone in her hand being held tightly like a lifeline. "What," she started. She gulped, but tried again. "What are you, um, doing to my door." Dimitri kicked the doorknob away and said roughly. "We need to go now. It's Rose." Lissa's eye's flashed, and she said "gottagobye" to whoever was on the phone, then threw it on the bed and raced over to Dimitri." She put a finger on his hand, where a nasty gash was bleeding, and healed it. Dimitri felt a wave of purity pour into his hand, then shook off the bliss and started running. "Thanks." Lissa started to run after him, and responded, "Welcome."

After a few minutes of running it became clear to him that with Lissa, he would lose time with Rose. He glanced at Lissa and tried to hide his frustration. It wasn't Lissa's fault, but he wished Moroi had a required athletics curriculum. He hesitated, then said slowly, "Vasilissa… I think it might be best…" Lissa nodded, gasping in air, and suddenly looked up. "You could…" She held up her arms awkwardly, but Dimitri got it and thought it was a good idea. He picked her up and thanked the Moroi build for being so light, then set off in the direction of where he left Rose.

They arrived a minute later and Dimitri set Lissa down in front of the office door, then strode into the office. "How is she?" He asked. Alberta looked up fearfully and pointed at Rose. Dimitri turned, bracing himself for the worst, and took in the scene. Rose was standing upright and her eyes were orange, which meant one thing: Sonya was back.


End file.
